BMW i8 Roadster Priced From $163,300

That’s $19,900 more than the coupe.

In March, BMW buyers will be able to take home the brand-new i8 Roadster. The convertible sports car made its debut last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and alongside a handful of new features – things like E-Copper leather, 20-inch wheels, a head-up display, and heated front seats – it will also come with a premium price tag to match.

BMW i8 Roadster

According to BMWBlog, the new BMW i8 Roadster will start at $163,300, not including the $995 designation fee. At that price, the i8 Roadster would be the most expensive BMW on the market right now, and signify a $19,900 premium over the current i8 coupe, which starts at $143,400.

If you start ticking all the option boxes, though, things get even pricier. Laser lights for the i8 Roadster will set you back a whopping $6,300. Black brake calipers with ceramic controls, meanwhile, will cost another $2,500. Standard colors include E-Copper, Sophisto Grey Metallic, and Donington Grey, but special colors like Crystal White Pearl Metallic with Frozen Grey or Frozen Blue accent will cost an extra $1,800.

Of course, like the coupe before it, the i8 Roadster comes with plenty of horsepower for the price. Under the hood the hybrid powertrain produces a combined 369 horsepower (275 kilowatts), 12 more than the outgoing models. The Roadster weighs in at just 3,513 pounds (1,593 kilograms) too, making it only 132 pounds (60 kilograms) heavier than the coupe.

All that extra horsepower gives the i8 Roadster the ability to sprint to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in just 4.4 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (249 kmh). BMW has currently opened up order forms for the i8 Roadster, for those of you willing to dish out more than $163,000.

Driving in Beverly Hills, with all the Bentleys, Porsches, etc, an i8 immediately caught my eye. Car looks much better out in the real world than the pictures depict.At least the i8 is a bold and innovative design. Model S by comparison looks like a common sedan.